Multiple cap remover



March 10, 1959 A. LEcouRs MULTIPLE CAP REMOVER Filed Aug. 19, 1957 1]!!! llil v 1 Even/0A (all f "III'IIIIIIIII I United States Patent'O MULTIPLE CAP REMOVER Adrien Lecours, Val dOr, Quebec, Canada Application August 19, 1957, Serial No. 678,842

Claims. (Cl. 81-332) This invention relates to bottle openers and more particularly to a device for removing several bottle caps at the same time in a single operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for simultaneously removing the bottle caps from a plurality of similar bottles in a single operation so as to facilitate the handling and serving of the contents thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of the above type that includes a compartment for collecting and storing all bottle caps removed in this manner for future removal and disposal.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a multiple cap remover beating the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of apparatus made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a single cap removing element;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section, showing details of the apparatus; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross sectional view showing the manner in which the operating mechanism is supported upon the base of the device.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a multiple bottle cap remover made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a box 1 having a bottom wall 2, a top wall 3, longitudinally spaced ends 4, and a vertical back wall 5. The forward edges 6 of the ends 4, are

inclined upwardly toward the forward edge of the top wall 3 which is somewhat narrower than the base or bottom wall 2. t

A vertical partition wall 7 extends vertically upwardly from the mid portion of the bottom wall 2 toward the inclined forward edge of the top wall 3 and terminates slightly therebelow so as to define a slot between the adjacent edge of the top wall and the upwardly inclined web 8 of the partition wall.

In use, the bottles 10 are supported in equally spaced apart and longitudinally aligned relationship within notches 11 formed along the length of a positioning bar 12 carried by the base wall 2. In this position, the upper ends of the necks 9 are exposed immediately adjacent to the forward edge of the inclined web 8.

A rock shaft 13 is mounted for rotation upon the spaced end walls 4 by means of washers 14 that are disposed between the head 31 of the shaft and the end wall, and washera 14 that are disposed between the opposite end of the shaft and the associated end wall 4, a cotter pin 32 re k Patented M a r. 10,1959

inovably securing the shaft in this operative assembled position. As is more clearly shown in Figure 3, a plu rality of forwardly extending arms 17 are integrally connected to a sleeve'19 that encloses the rock shaft 13, whereas the upwardly extending side arms 15 of an operating member are also secured to the sleeve 19. These arms 15 extend upwardly through longitudinally spaced slots 16 formed in the top wall 3, whereby reciprocating rocking movement of the sleeve 19 may be effected to also effect reciprocating rocking movement of the arms 15. A plate 17 joins both arms 15. A connecting shaft 18 extends through the outer free ends of the arms 15 and through the adjacent ends of levers 20 which are operative to engage the caps 29 of the respective bottles 10.

As is more clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5, each of these actuating levers 20 is provided with a bifurcated terminal portion that provides two ears that have aligned bores 22 which receive the adjacent end of the associated lever arms 17 and are thus secured together by the connecting shaft 18. The opposite end of each such lever 20 is in the form of a spoon 23 having an irregular shaped opening 24. This opening is defined by a lip 25 which faces rearwardly and a groove 26 that defines a forwardly extending tongue 27 which is spaced above the plane of the lip 25. The lower surface of the spoon portion 23 is curved to provide a sloping surface 28 for facilitating the engagement of the bottle cap with the opening defining portions of the lever.

This engagement is helped by the longitudinal slope 28, the tip being higher than the cap in the first contact. The tranverse curvature locates the cap 29 in center of the slope and as portion 23 advances forward, surface 28 is lifted until cap 29 engages lip 25.

In actual use, a plurality of bottles 10 are placed between the notches 11 and the wall 7 so that the necks rest upon the oblique end 8 of the wall 7. In this position, the caps 29 of the bottles are ready to be engaged adjacent their lower front edges by the lip 25 and on top of and toward the rear edge thereof by the tongues 27. This engagement is automatically effected when the levers 20 are moved forwardly through the slot adjacent to the top wall 3 by the handle arms 15. In pulling the operating handle in the direction of the arrow, toward the front of the unit, the cap openers 20 are pulled rearwardly and rotated about a horizontal axis to cause the lips 25 to urge the front edges of the caps upwardly about a center extending through the tongues 27. As the caps are removed they slide over the edge 8 and fall into the interior of the compartment where they are retained until they are all removed at any desired time.

While various changes may be made in the detail conv wall toward the front edge of said top wall and defining a longitudinal slot therewith, said base having partition means for supporting a plurality of bottles in'equally spaced and aligned relationship with the caps thereof adjacent to said slot, cap engaging means extending through said slot into proximity with said caps, and means for actuating said cap engaging means.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said actuating means comprises a longitudinal rock shaft supported within said housing.

. 3 4 3. The combination according to claim 2, further com- 5. The combination according to claim 4, further com: prising a handle for effecting reciprocating rotation of prising a plurality of crank arms, each one of said crank said rock shaft. arms being secured at one Zend to said shaft and at the 4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein said opposite end pivotally connected to the rear end of cap engaging means comprises a plurality of levers each 5 one of said lever. having a forward end defining an aperture for receiving predetermined portions of a single cap to be removed. N0 references C 

